The Bravados (1958)

A man is chasing four outlaws who killed his wife and finds them in a small town's jail but they escape to Mexico.

Director:

Henry King

Writers:

Philip Yordan (screenplay), Frank O'Rourke (novel)

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Joan Collins, Stephen Boyd

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gregory Peck	...	Jim Douglass
Joan Collins	...	Josefa Velarde
Stephen Boyd	...	Bill Zachary
Albert Salmi	...	Ed Taylor
Henry Silva	...	Lujan
Kathleen Gallant	...	Emma Steinmetz
Barry Coe	...	Tom
George Voskovec	...	Gus Steinmetz
Herbert Rudley	...	Sheriff Sanchez
Lee Van Cleef	...	Alfonso Parral
Andrew Duggan	...	Padre
Ken Scott	...	Primo - Deputy Sheriff
Gene Evans	...	John Butler
Ninos Cantores de Morelia Choral Group	...	Themselves (as The Niños Cantores De Morelia Choral Group)

Storyline

Jim Douglas has been relentlessly pursuing the four outlaws who murdered his wife, but finds them in jail about to be hanged. While he waits to witness their execution, they escape; and the townspeople enlist Douglas' aid to recapture them.

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Plot Keywords:

outlaw gang | revenge | chase | based on novel | arizona | 

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Taglines:

For what they had done to the woman he loved ...he killed the bravados one by one!!

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Genres:

Drama | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

1958 (Norway)

Also Known As:

Bravados

Filming Locations:

Yucatán, Mexico

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While filming Gregory Peck decided to become a cowboy in real life, so he purchased a vast working ranch near Santa Barbara, California - already stocked with 600 head of prize cattle.

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Goofs

When the first gang member lies in ambush, he is seen crawling past a large green shrub and behind broken blades of dry grass. After he is spotted by Jim Douglass and the camera cuts back to him, the exact same shot is repeated as though it is happening further along in the story.

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Quotes

Sheriff Sanchez: Ladies and gentlemen, there's no need for me to tell you - the emergency arose and the man appeared. Mr Douglass, it's not often a man gets to do so much for his neighbors and do it like you did. We want you to know we'll always be grateful... and in our hearts always.
Jim Douglass: Thank you... and in your prayers, please.

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Connections

Referenced in Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

User Reviews

King of Directors

Henry King, who directed this picture, had a long and distinguished career that lasted from 1915 from 1962. He directed perhaps as many classic movies as anyone, from TOL'ABLE David (1920) through TENDER IS THE NIGHT (1962). Yet if you look at his sound movies from 1935 on, you will see very little camera movement. Like many of his contemporaries, King set down his camera and let it sit for a while, allowing the movie-goer to make up his mind gradually.

This, however, is a movie of short takes and moving cameras. It might not be apparent to someone familiar with movies shot only in the past twenty years, but watch what happens when Gregory Peck is in the shot: the camera moves like mad to keep him in the frame and you get frequent point of view shots from the character's perspective.

Also watch for the perfectly framed compositions, another hallmark of the directors who started their work in the silent era. A lot of credit, of course, to his regular cameraman, Leonard Shamroy, a great script and marvelous performances.

But that moving camera is not his usual style.